CHAPTER 3

Jenna was anxious as the hours passed and her beloved mother did not arrive, she was uneasy, her nana knew nothing yet. When the door clicked, the little girl was standing in front of the door, waiting to see her mother, but her father appeared all haggard, sad and when he saw her he had to stop himself from crying. He came with his paternal grandmother, also sad, which made her feel strange, they were always happy to see her. She hugged and greeted her grandmother, then her father who, when he hugged her, burst into tears, he could no longer stand it and cried with so much pain that he frightened his daughter and asked her:

"What's wrong daddy, and where is my mommy, and why are you crying?".

Mark sat down on the floor and his daughter got between his legs to look at him crying and said: "Daddy, my mommy, did something happen to my mommy? Daddy tell me something.

He watched her sadly, thinking how to explain to her that he would never see her mother again and exclaimed very sadly.

"Your mommy... went... to... heaven love".

Jenna understood him, but still not believing him and commented hesitantly.

"My mommy... did she... die, did my mommy die... no daddy it's a lie!... you're lying to me, my mommy can't... she loves me, no... she won't... leave me alone, noooo it's a lie".

And she ran off to lock herself in her room, leaving her father crying with even more pain. The grandmother with great sorrow went to knock on her beloved granddaughter's door saying, "May I come in, my little love?".

She realized it was her grandmother and answered yes, Carla opened the door to find a picture full of pain, her granddaughter was lying on her bed crying with a picture of her with her mother.

She approached her and sat on the bed to stroke her hair and then the little girl mumbled

"Grandma, why did my mommy leave, doesn't she love me anymore?".

Carla was startled to hear her and soon replied.

"It's not that love, she adores you, but your mommy was on her way back here and she had an accident with the car and they couldn't save her."

Jenna heard her and burst into tears saying.

"My mommy, I love my mommy! I don't want her to go I don't want her to go". Carla hugged her trying to comfort her."

There was a knock on the front door, Jenna's nana went to open it and it was Judith's parents who had just found out, finding Marck kneeling on the floor crying his eyes out, Juliet and Marcus went to pick him up also crying, they hugged him as they knew of the love between them.

"Marck, do you know what happened to our daughter? They told us it was outside your company."

Marck's eyes were red from crying, and he could only manage to say.

"It was a crash, she... they crashed... I arrived and saw her there... She died in my arms!... I saw her die! (and he cried with so much pain that his in-laws hugged him again)... he said he was going to visit me as a surprise... he left me alone... without her".

They stood there hugging for a few moments when they remembered their granddaughter and asked, "Jenna does she know yet?"

Marck just nodded his head going back to crying again, Juliet got up from the couch and went to her granddaughter's room finding Carla there, they both hugged and Jenna was crying on her bed.

Juliet hugged her tightly and the little girl asked.

"Grandma, isn't my mommy coming back from heaven?"

Hearing her hurt her heart more, losing her daughter and hearing her granddaughter hope for something that can no longer be, but she answered:

"Jenna when... God calls her to his side... it is to give her a place there and... she can take care of you from heaven love, she does not suffer, she is happy with God."

The girl calmed down with that explanation, her grandmothers suffered to see her so sad, while outside was Marcus with his son-in-law hugging each other because Marck did not stop crying for his deceased wife, but his father-in-law asked troubled.

"Marck where are we going to watch over my daughter?". His son-in-law looked at him sadly and said.

"Everything is ready Marcus" he told him the address, they were not taking her yet as she was in the morgue, making her up so that the bruises would not show, they would call him to tell him that everything was ready.

When everything was ready, all the adults went to the place where Judith's remains would be watched over, Jenna would stay at home with her nanny, until the day of the burial where they would let her say goodbye to her mother.

When they arrived Marck was the first to go to the coffin to see his wife, he saw her lying there with her hands clasped together, no bumps were noticeable it looked like she was just sleeping, but he couldn't stand it and cried saying.

"Judith love, I miss you so much, I am left without you, without your love".

There was her husband who loved her so much suffering for her absence and there were already all his business partners and friends looking at him with sorrow, because they all knew of his immense love.

Dereck Black Marck's father was sitting with his wife Carla sobbing too, his conscience was killing him, looking at his son suffering and knowing it was his fault.

As Marck walked away from the casket many of his friends came over to offer their condolences. Then he went to sit next to his parents, his mother hugged him and there he sat sobbing to his wife.

When the day came to take her to the Black's mausoleum, Marcus went for his granddaughter telling her that they were going to say goodbye to her mother. Jenna carried a folded piece of paper in the pocket of the black dress she was wearing.

After the mass at the mausoleum, the casket was opened to give her a final farewell, first her parents, then her mother-in-law. When Dereck went, he said goodbye asking for forgiveness very slowly, when it was Jenna's turn, first he looked at her mother there she seemed asleep, he took out the paper he had carried and everyone was silent to listen to her, so the girl began to speak

'I'm sad, because I know I'll never see your smile again. That smile of a mother that makes everything happy. I will never again hear your sweet words and your sincere advice, full of tenderness. I am sad, because in my return, there will not be the embrace and the kiss of a mother, of my mother.

I don't want to suffer anymore thinking that you left in such an unexpected way, to console myself I try to make myself think that you only went on a trip and that you are very happy where you are. I know that from there you will take care of me and you will see everything I will do in this life and I promise you that I will make you feel proud of me.

Goodbye mom I will continue to love you all my life'.

He looked at her and gave her a blown kiss, she came down with her eyes full of tears.

Her father hugged her and pressed her against his body, but he couldn't give her comfort because he couldn't do it himself, he left her with her parents and said goodbye to his wife.

'How I wish this was all a nightmare, and no matter how much cold water I pour on my face or pinch myself, I realize that this is my sad reality and I don't have you anymore in this life."

I try to imagine that you are coming home, that I hear your voice calling me from our bedroom door, I feel like I am going crazy just thinking that I will never see you again.

I would give my whole life and I would pay anything to be with you again, and share beautiful moments, because the best time of my life has been when I have been closer to you. You have no idea how much I miss you.

I miss you with all my heart, and although many say that not having someone close to you makes you forget them, I can assure you that I will never forget you, because I keep you deep in my heart, because your memory is for me the best of treasures, and I will take care of it for all my life.

'Farewell, love, you leave me and I remain here suffering your departure, our daughter will always accompany me to remind me of you'.

He moved from there to put the coffin in its vault, his parents and daughter embraced him, watching that he was already lost from their sight and they closed the place where they put it, his crying could be heard throughout the mausoleum, but he tried to resign himself leaving there, outside everyone gave him strength to endure it, he thanked each one of them until only both families were left.

They got into the cars to return home, Mark sobbed and said.

"What the fuck is money for if you can't do anything to help the one you love, I miss her... the fucking money... It didn't do me any fucking good!". He said that already shouting and his mother said.

"Son calm down for God's sake, Judith rest in peace now, please your daughter...she's listening to you."

Mark had forgotten that Jenna was with them and replied.

"I'm sorry daughter, I just... I miss her so much" but the little girl was very intelligent and sensitive, and she added.

"But her grandfather sometimes looked at his son guiltily and was very quiet.

They arrived home, went inside to sit in the living room, Jenna hugged her daddy, she missed her mommy so much, Dereck looked at that picture and couldn't stop himself from crying, his conscience was conflicted, his wife got up to hug him and comfort him.

Judith's parents were also very sad, they were there for a long time trying to calm down, the nanny took Jenna who had fallen asleep in her father's arms who was also falling asleep, his mother accompanied him to his room to put him to bed, she stayed there looking at her sleeping son, thinking that since he will wake up tomorrow, he will have to return to his company because he has obligations to his daughter, partners and other companies.

Dereck's conscience was so troubled that he was determined to tell the truth to his wife, but it would be at home, he only hoped she would not hate him for that, the other grandparents said goodbye to go back home, only the paternal grandparents were left, Carla came out and told her husband that her son was sleeping and that she was thinking of staying there, that if he wanted to stay or go home to rest he should go to his company to manage it.

That made Dereck think and he only answered that he would go home to rest to go to his company, he said goodbye to his wife kissing her and left, Carla went into her granddaughter's room and lay down next to her to sleep with her.

At home Dereck pondered whether to tell her or not, he thought about what his son told him, that he did not plan to accuse him with his mother or granddaughter, he sat down to think about it, because if he confessed that to his wife, maybe it would end their marriage and he did love his wife, but the carnal desire was very strong in him, he had never thought of leaving her, he had never thought of leaving her, he would never leave her.

It would be better to speak well with his son when dawn came, he went to sleep, leaving the doubt and confession in doubt.

At dawn a new life began in the Black family, since there were only father and daughter to continue living together. Mark asked the nanny if she could live with them to stay with her daughter and not be alone, to which she agreed, she loved Jenna very much.

When the little girl woke up she saw her grandmother next to her, she smiled and caressed her face making her wake up and said.

"Good morning my little flower".

"Good morning grandma." She hugged her for a few moments feeling that warm affection from her grandmother.

The door opened giving way to Mark who came in to greet his daughter and mother.

"Good morning mom, good morning beautiful."

Jenna hugged her father tightly answering.

"Good morning daddy, are you going to leave?". Her father looked at her very serene and added.

"Yes my darling, I have to go to work, but I will try to get there earlier, Alice is going to stay with us". That made the little girl very happy, she adored her nanny.

 Well, a new life begins for father and daughter, they had the help of the nanny that would help to fill the void left by her sweet mother, the only thing left was the conversation between father and son to settle Dereck's doubts and maybe finish with what happened with Judith.